The Outer Senshi Travels
by Patrick Carr
Summary: The Outer Senshi must travel Europe and save the world against a new evil threatening to possess humans for their ultimate goal of chaos, anarchy, and death.


**Chapter 1**

The sky was a dull grey, and the wind was calm. The posh neighborhood of South Kensington was up in activity with the beginnings of a concert performance at the Royal Albert Hall. The concert hall was a glow with light and energy, palpable even from across Kensington Gore. Unlike many venues, there was no clear indication on the façade of the building as to who was performing, and many who attended went in with a clear idea of who was performing. Normally, it would have been a Cirque du Soleil performance, but it the travelling acrobats had to cancel their final Saltimbanco performance in London. However, someone did step in to fill the void.

Inside, the audience buzzed with anticipation. The hall was set up with the BBC Concert Orchestra on the stage, waiting for the signal to tune. The hall was magnificent, with the seats a beautiful red plush and designed in the old Italian style of opera houses, and the players continued to fiddle with their instruments, practicing before the show began. Finally, the house lights dimmed and a middle aged man walked out to greet the audience's respectful applause.

"Good evening, I am Sir Andrew Corwin, maestro for tonight's performance. As the season ticket holders are aware, this was scheduled to be Cirque du Soleil's final London performance before taking their show on its worldwide tour. However, due to several events within the company, that performance was cancelled for this evening. Fortunately, we have a treat for all of you. A renowned and extremely gifted violinist, coming to us from the Azabu-Juban district of Tokyo, stepped in and is providing us with this evening's program. She will be playing several works for violin and orchestra and for violin and piano. Opening tonight's program with a special arrangement of Frederic Chopin's Nocturne in C-sharp Minor, please welcome Amara Tenoh on piano, and tonight's featured soloist, Michelle Kaioh."

The maestro stepped onto the podium and turned towards the large grand piano where a woman in a full white, tails tuxedo walked out. Her hair was boy cut, a sandy blonde and her blue eyes sparkled as she sat down at the bench. Then, with the poise and grace of royalty, another woman walked out. Her hair flowed with the freedom of the seas, and matched its aquamarine color. Michelle's dress was a floor-length black satin, the A-line creating an even more elegant feel. The violin she was holding was an absolutely priceless instrument: a Stradivarius violin, one of a kind. And unlike most Stradivari, it was not on loan to her; it was rightfully her instrument. The nocturne flowed from the strings like a beautiful, calming wave upon the audience and they fell silent. Michelle kept the audience and orchestra behind her hanging on her every note; each bow stroke a new word. She was a master craftsman of musical narrative, and as she finished her performance, she did not release the mood she created for one second. The audience applauded and Michelle took her solo bow before allowing Amara to stand up for hers.

Once the concert was over, Michelle returned to her dressing room. She ran her hand through her hair a couple of times before placing her violin back in its case. Her reflection stared at her, and it was inviting. Her eyes were as deep as the seas, the same color as her hair: a picture of feminine, elegant beauty. As she changed into more comfortable clothes, she heard a knock on her door.

"Miss Kaioh?" said the security guard. "You have a visitor; may I let her in?"

"If you could ask her to wait a moment, I will be ready to greet the audience members," Michelle answered. Amara walked in anyway. Michelle smiled at her reflection. "Oh, it's only you, Amara. Yes, that's fine."

"Fantastic job tonight," Amara told Michelle. Michelle stood behind a Victorian screen as she changed out of her dress and into a more comfortable lavender sundress and pale green vest. "I couldn't imagine you playing any better; perfection."

"Thank you, Amara. I just wish I could follow my hunch as to why we travelled her to London. The energy presence that my mirror captured before has since disappeared, and I haven't been able to get a lock on it," Michelle responded in a more serious tone. Amara's smile dropped almost immediately. Michelle picked up her mirror. It was a golden mirror with a turquoise lacquering on the back with a trident etched. She concentrated very hard on the reflective surface, but couldn't find anything else besides her own face.

"You didn't tell me this," Amara said quickly. She looked at Michelle, who placed her hand lovingly on Amara's. "I thought we were here to perform and have a vacation."

"Since when did our destiny provide us with rest? And besides, we're still performing. It will be how I can track down the enemy. We have to keep following this energy…the presence is very strong, almost as strong as the Death Busters." Amara's mood palpably changed.

"Will we need the Princess?"

"No, we shouldn't need her yet. It is within our powers to stop this evil before it grows." Michelle took Amara's other hand and stared into her eyes. The gaze Michelle gave Amara was comforting but at the same time unnerving.

"Do you enjoy the Bohemian life then?"

"Only if you're there to do it with me."

Michelle inched closer to Amara and before she could get any closer, there was a knock on the door. Amara and Michelle released their hands.

"Miss Kaioh, it's the maestro. Shall I let him in?" asked the security guard.

"Yes, that'll be fine," Michelle replied, giggling to Amara. The maestro entered the room, his hair greying at the sides. He looked as if he hadn't really had many good meals, extremely skinny for his age and slowing metabolism. His skin, compared to Amara and Michelle, was extremely pale and his grey eyes scanned the room and the two women. Even he seemed to feel a little bit apprehensive of whatever was transpiring beforehand.

"Excellent concert, Michelle; I am so honored to have provided the accompaniment for your performance. I am also relieved that the musicians had played the music before. You really saved the Albert Hall Concert Series. We shall have to invite you back for the Proms!" said Sir Andrew with a combination of ecstatic behavior and palpable confusion.

"Well, we'll have to see. I'm currently doing a European tour, but we can hopefully work out something to do this again," Michelle responded, smiling. Her teeth were so perfectly white, brilliant in their sparkle. Amara couldn't help but smirk. She knew what this was: Michelle in full polite mode. Michelle, unlike Amara, would try and navigate her way around situations that would prove to be less than desirable.

"But of course, Miss Kaioh! I can only understand the demand of being so far away culturally and in distance from Tokyo," Sir Andrew rambled.

'Here it comes…' Amara thought to herself.

"Unfortunately, Sir Maestro, it's a matter of having to do it oneself first before being capable of understanding," Michelle answered in an even more polite tone.

'There it is!' Amara laughed inside. The silence was deafening, and the lucid tones of the air conditioning unit filled the ears of Sir Andrew and the two ladies.

"Oh…yes; please excuse me," Sir Andrew said to Michelle in a small voice. He let himself out of Michelle's dressing room.

"Well, you sure got rid of him," Amara responded with a chuckle. Michelle's voice and face seemed much more annoyed than before.

"He was trying too hard to be nice; it wasn't sincere, and I don't like that," Michelle answered while picking up her violin case.

"Who says being sincere is appropriate all the time?"

"It is."

"Would you believe me if I said I wasn't sincere all the time."

"I can tell, Amara."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Are Trista and Hotaru in Europe too?"

"Don't change the subject!"

Meanwhile, at the University of Cambridge's Newnham College, a few women were having a conversation. One woman stood out more than the rest. She had long flowing dark green hair and a beautiful tan complexion. Her eyes were the color of a dark red, almost as if they were pools of dark sangria. She had on a grey suit with a white blouse and red accent ribbon tied around the neck of the blouse. The woman fixed her hair so that most of it was gathered into a bun and flowed down from it, keeping it from floating into her eyes. Next to her was a teenage girl, no more than thirteen or fourteen. Across the sofa from the two were a couple of other women, about the same age as the green-haired one.

"So, you've come here for the physics Ph.D. path?" asked one of the women. She had curly red hair that fell delicately down to her shoulders, framing her pale face and light green eyes.

"Yes; fortunately, the college was willing to allow me to bring Hotaru with me. There was no one I could leave her with back in Tokyo," said the green-haired woman. "Otherwise, I wouldn't be here at all."

"I can't imagine why, though. You were the highest achieving physics student in Japan!" said another woman. She was a waif, and the way her body was shaped lent itself to a very lyrical, dance-like line, and her raven hair was pulled back into a ponytail. Hotaru's neck length black hair and straight-cut bangs framed her face in a very square fashion. She went to speak up, but the green-haired woman placed her hand on her shoulder before she could say a word.

"But Trista…" Hotaru began, running her hand along her black skirt, looking up at the green-haired woman.

"Hotaru," Trista responded in a motherly tone, "it'll be time for your lesson soon. Go get your workbook out of our room and we'll begin." Hotaru smiled weakly before getting up and leaving the room.

"She's so well-behaved. An amazing feat: single mom, master's degree and good looks. Someone's blessed you with lots of talents," said the dancer.

"By the way, Trista," said the red-haired woman. "I love your clothes. Where did you get them?"

"They're…well, I designed them…so I guess you could say they're a singular piece," Trista explained quietly. She seemed almost embarrassed. The other girls gasped.

"Trista, this suit is to die for! You could design clothes for a living, seriously!"

"Oh, Karen," said Trista to the dancer.

"We mean it though!" Hotaru returned with her book. At a glance, Karen and the red-haired woman could make out the phrase _Intermediate Italian_ before Hotaru sat down with the green workbook.

"Italian? That's a difficult language for someone her age!" Karen exclaimed.

"It's not too hard," Hotaru grinned. "I managed to get through beginners' Italian in a couple of months."

"Why, Hotaru, that's amazing!"

"She learns very well. I've taught her up to pre-calculus, English literature of the 20th century, physics, chemistry, physical sciences, and world history through the 19th century," Trista explained. She stopped speaking when she heard a faint phone ring. "If you would excuse me, I think the phone is ringing." Trista went into her room, which was an understated color pattern of whites, blacks, and greys against a light cream colored wall and curtain set, hiding the French doors that led to a beautiful garden and common area. She picked up the phone.

"Trista…oh, Michelle…I'm here, yes. So is Hotaru…you want to meet us for dinner? Fine…oh…I see…you felt it as well. It will be easier for us to get to London than for you to come here…okay, let me finish Hotaru's lesson. Alright. Goodbye."

In the darkness, only a dripping could be heard. The catacombs hid everything from the few shards of light that decided to make the trip through the grates. The sounds of rats and insects few and far between; not even they would dare live in the stench. All of a sudden, a voice rang out.

"Here…this is where we will make our camp; the continent that concerns itself with beauty in order, strength in design…truth in lies. The people of Europe have largely ruled this planet over the course of human history. Here is where we will find the perfect vessels for our plans. Come, my servants. Come to your master," said the voice. It was a voice built out of distortion. It was as if many voices were speaking at the same time, yet were one in the same. Out of the darkness, faint flickers of flame gathered. The portion of the catacombs was illuminated. Three figures appeared out of the damp floors: two male, one female. The first was very tall and muscular. His veins pressed against his muscles like a blue roadmap on his body. He had brown hair, shaggy and shoulder length, bangs covering his eyes. The woman was petite. She had intense blonde hair pulled back into a long ponytail. She was wearing a lycra cat suit, allowing most of her to blend into the darkness save the occasional dance of the light. The final man was a medium height, but seemed to be something of a martial arts instructor who had let himself go. A black belt was tied around his head, underneath his bangs and around his vast stomach.

"Yes, master?" All three answered. Stepping into the light, their master revealed itself. What appeared to be a shapeless entity was hovering in front of them, speaking and emoting as if it were human. The only attribute that was definite was its color, black. More black than the darkness that surrounded it.

"I want you to find someone who would make a perfect body for our doing. We must build an army to take over this continent," said the entity. "I will trust you, Hideki, for the task."

"Thank you master," said the tall one. The entity laughed as Hideki disappeared into nothingness.

"Trista!" Hotaru said, running along the sidewalk in front of King's Cross. "Where are we going!"

"We're meeting Amara and Michelle for dinner at Nobu," Trista answered. The bustling train station was the gateway to Greater London, and Hotaru's eyes widened. She and Trista initially flew into London Luton Airport, which was farther to the north than the other airports and out of the London area. It was the first time Hotaru could see the London area, and she was enthralled.

Trista looked around for a taxi, and hailed one of the many stereotypical London taxis hovering around the station's access road. She politely asked for Nobu in Knightsbridge, and the vehicle took off. Trista enjoyed the way London looked and felt; she had been there only once before, and that was to make sure that the girl who would be Sailor Venus made her way back to Tokyo to complete her destiny. Mina…that was her name. Tokyo was much different from London; a different sense of history was in this city. The people also seemed to take a little more time and were a little friendlier than those back home. Before she realized it, she and Hotaru arrived at Nobu. She was interested to see what the British take on Japanese cuisine would be, and Hotaru smiled at the restaurant. Inside, Trista could see exactly where Amara and Michelle were sitting. They were enjoying a bowl of green tea when Trista and Hotaru joined them.

"Well, it's not a takoyaki stand by any stretch," Trista smiled. Amara and Michelle giggled.

"Amara, Michelle, it's good to see you guys! Cambridge has been so much fun, but I missed you," Hotaru said to them.

"I imagine, kiddo," Amara responded. "But that's not why we invited you here." The server brought out a plate of different variety of sushi and sashimi, placing it on their table.

"Amara and I have picked up on a very strong dark energy; it is very strong, almost as if we've seen it before though. Nothing different…it was in my mirror, and then it disappeared since we got here. We've decided on using my European tour to help find out the source of this evil," said Michelle to the rest of the group. Her face had a look of grave concern. A bottle of nihonshu appeared on the table as well. Hotaru reached for some of the sashimi.

"Will we need my power for this mission?" she asked, understanding the gravitas of the situation.

"We don't know yet," Amara said. She immediately stopped, and looked out the window. Michelle turned to her, placing her hand on her thigh.

"What is it?" Michelle asked.

"I thought I saw a shadow in the window…as if someone were watching us." Trista's face tensed.

"I felt it too…" Trista said to the group. The restaurant's peaceful atmosphere was interrupted by the sounds of shattering glass and screams. The four looked at the scene, and a smoke screen filled the restaurant. A figure appeared of a man who was very tall and very muscular with shaggy brown hair covering his eyes. His complexion was very tan, and his eyes were black when the bangs were out of his face. He stood in an all-black karate suit above the restaurant manager.

"You will make the perfect body for our energy. Sacrifice yourself for my master!" said the man. Amara, Michelle, Trista, and Hotaru found a corner of the restaurant where no one was present. They each held a stick with a large crystal orb at the top.

"Uranus Crystal Power, Make Up!"

"Neptune Crystal Power, Make Up!"

"Saturn Crystal Power, Make Up!"

"Pluto Crystal Power, Make Up!"

In a flash of lights, replacing the four girls were Sailor Uranus, Sailor Neptune, Sailor Pluto, and Sailor Saturn. They made their entrance known to the man.

"Invited by a new age, I am Sailor Uranus, acting gracefully," said Sailor Uranus.

"Likewise, Sailor Neptune, acting beautifully," Sailor Neptune added.

"Guided by the planet of the lower world, I, Sailor Pluto, will not allow you to take this man's life," Sailor Pluto said, pointing her Garnet Orb, which sat on top of a key shaped silver staff at the attacker.

"Aided by the star of silence, reborn into this world, I am Sailor Saturn," finished Sailor Saturn.

"We are the Sailor Soldiers of the Outer Solar System, and we…" Sailor Uranus began.

"…have arrived!" finished all four Sailors. The attacker stood in front of them. Sailor Uranus had never been made to feel short before, but this man did it to her. There about a head's worth of height in between them. He laughed a deep laugh, shaking the rafters.

"Sailor Soldiers? A bunch of women aren't going to stop me from completing my task for my master," said the attacker.

"Who are you?" demanded Sailor Saturn, brandishing her weapon: a large staff with a curved glaive at the very end of it.

"I am Hideki Fuchowa, and I am serving my great master in his plan to destroy this planet. I won't waste my time on you so called soldiers, so I will leave you to deal with this man. Now that his body has become a shell for our energy, he will transform into a youma for you to deal with. Don't get in my way anymore," said Hideki. With that, he disappeared. Sailor Neptune looked at the man and he transformed in a black aura into a beast of unimaginable description. A worm-like build with tentacles all over, his mouth was as wide as the top of his torso, full of sharp teeth.

"Uranus! Watch out for that youma!" Sailor Neptune yelled. Sailor Uranus turned around quickly and before the youma could really get its bearings, Sailor Uranus charged her attack.

"World Shaking!" An orb of golden energy with a ring around it formed in Sailor Uranus' gloved hand. She released it into the ground and it made its way to the youma, which barely flinched.

"Well, that didn't really do much to it," Sailor Uranus responded. The youma roared, and from its mouth came a dark purple and black beam of energy. The four dodged it. Sailor Pluto held her staff and the garnet orb began to glow. Wind gathered around her as did clouds of dust.

"Dead…Scream…" whispered Sailor Pluto, causing a purple orb to form out of her Garnet Rod. She pointed the staff at the youma and the orb charged at him. Sailor Saturn and Sailor Neptune watched as the youma didn't quite respond as they thought.

"I don't know what else to do…" Sailor Neptune said to the other three. "If we keep attacking the youma, it will only stand there and take the blows."

"We'll be exhausted before it is defeated," Sailor Saturn added. "We don't have the healing powers of the Princess to make him turn back into a human. I guess we have to kill him." Upon saying that, the youma attacked the group again. Sailor Saturn's reflexes saved them.

"Silence Wall!" she said, casting an invisible force field around the soldiers. Sailor Neptune held her hand out, and her mirror appeared. She turned the mirror on the youma, and what she found was that the reflection seemed to weaken the youma slowly. She felt the power of her talisman flow through her body. A new attack phrase came to her mind.

"Submarine Healing Tide!" Sailor Neptune attacked. A gentle aqua light flowed out of her mirror and onto the youma, which cowered in fear before finally reverting back to a human state. The four soldiers watched as the restaurant manager lay on the ground and a strange black energy left his body before dissipating.

"The enemy has found us," Sailor Pluto said to the others, "and it appears that this energy is from outside of the solar system."

"They're using humans in their plan, but for what exact purpose…I don't think it will reveal itself now," Sailor Uranus thought out loud. She then turned to Sailor Neptune. "Michelle, you have found a new power as well. The mirror does more than reflect the truth." Sailor Neptune looked at Sailor Uranus in shock. Uranus wrapped her arm around Neptune's shoulder.

"I…did not know of this power before. Maybe it is available to me because a youma is not a true being of this planet; it is only an illusion or a trick of the enemy."

"We must continue this mission here on this continent," Sailor Saturn whispered. "Until we can find where the enemy headquarters are located and end their plans."

"Are we skilled enough as it is? Will we need more power from you, Sailor Saturn/" Pluto thought out loud.


End file.
